Matthew21

Jesus enters Jerusalem triumphantly, acclaimed as the Son of David, fulfilling prophecy. He then cleanses the Temple, rebuking those who profaned it, and teaches on faith after cursing a barren fig tree. His authority is challenged by religious leaders, to whom he responds with the parables of the Two Sons and the Wicked Husbandmen, revealing their rejection of God's messengers and Son.
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The Triumphal Entry

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And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, ​
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Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. ​
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And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.
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All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, ​
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Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. ​
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And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,
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And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.
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And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.
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And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. ​
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And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? ​
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And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

Cleansing the Temple

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And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, ​
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And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. ​
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And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.
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And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, ​
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And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? ​
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And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.

The Fig Tree Withered

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Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.
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And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. ​
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And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!
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Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. ​
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And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

Questioning Jesus' Authority

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And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? ​
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And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.
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The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? ​
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But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.
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And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. ​

Parable of the Two Sons

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But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.
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He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.
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And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.
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Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. ​
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For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

Parable of the Wicked Tenants

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Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: ​
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And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. ​
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And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
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Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.
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But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. ​
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But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. ​
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And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. ​
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When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?
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They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. ​
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Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? ​
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Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. ​
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And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. ​
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And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.
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But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet. ​

Study Notes for Matthew 21

Verse 1

The Mount of Olives and Bethphage mark the final approach to Jerusalem, signifying the beginning of Passion Week, the most critical period of Jesus' ministry.

Verse 2

Jesus' precise foreknowledge of the animals demonstrates his divine authority and control over the circumstances of his entry, fulfilling prophecy.

Verse 4

Matthew frequently highlights the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, establishing Jesus as the messianic King promised to Israel.

Verse 5

Quoting Zechariah 9:9, this prophecy emphasizes that Jesus enters as a humble King of peace, contrasting sharply with Roman generals who rode warhorses.

Verse 9

"Hosanna" means 'Save, please!' or 'Save now!' and was a liturgical cry of praise. Calling Jesus 'Son of David' affirms his messianic lineage and royal claim.

Verse 10

The term 'all the city was moved' (literally 'shaken') suggests a profound stir and excitement, acknowledging the magnitude of the event and the controversy surrounding Jesus.

Verse 12

Jesus cleanses the Court of the Gentiles, which was intended for prayer but had been converted into a marketplace, obstructing Gentiles' access to worship and exploiting pilgrims.

Verse 13

Jesus merges Isaiah 56:7 ('house of prayer') and Jeremiah 7:11 ('den of thieves'), condemning the religious authorities for turning a place of sacred devotion into a place of greed and corruption.

Verse 15

The chief priests’ anger stems not only from the disruption of their commerce but also from the nature of the Messianic praise being offered to Jesus.

Verse 16

Jesus quotes Psalm 8:2, validating the spontaneous worship of the children while rebuking the religious leaders, implying that those without status often see God's truth more clearly.

Verse 19

This serves as an acted parable. The fig tree symbolizes Israel's lack of spiritual fruit despite its outward appearance (leaves/Torah), leading to divine judgment.

Verse 21

The lesson shifts from judgment to the power of faith. 'Removing this mountain' is a hyperbolic Jewish expression for overcoming immense obstacles through prayer and belief.

Verse 23

This direct challenge from the religious elite aims to undermine Jesus' public ministry and force him to declare his source of power, which they would use to accuse him.

Verse 25

Jesus’ counter-question concerning John the Baptist traps his opponents, forcing them to choose between offending the people (who respected John) or affirming divine mission (which would validate Jesus).

Verse 27

Their refusal to answer, based on political fear, demonstrates their lack of moral authority, thus nullifying their right to question Jesus’ spiritual authority.

Verse 31

The first son represents those initially rejected (tax collectors and sinners) who ultimately repented. Jesus contrasts their genuine repentance with the leaders' verbal assent and practical disobedience.

Verse 33

This parable uses the familiar Old Testament imagery of the vineyard (cf. Isaiah 5) to represent Israel. The householder is God, and the tenants are the religious leaders.

Verse 34

The servants represent the prophets whom God sent throughout Israel's history to call the people to repentance and fruitfulness.

Verse 37

The sending of the Son marks the climax of God's patience and establishes Jesus' self-understanding as the unique, divine heir.

Verse 38

The tenants’ motivation—greed and the desire to seize the inheritance—reflects the leaders’ desire to maintain their power and control over Israel.

Verse 39

“Cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him” tragically foreshadows Jesus' crucifixion outside the city walls of Jerusalem (cf. Heb. 13:12).

Verse 41

The leaders unintentionally pronounce judgment upon themselves, confirming that God will transfer responsibility for the kingdom to those who produce fruit.

Verse 42

Jesus quotes Psalm 118:22–23. This foundational messianic text affirms that the one rejected by the religious establishment (the builders) will be the cornerstone of God's new structure.

Verse 43

This powerful statement declares the transfer of the Kingdom’s administration from the unfaithful leaders of Israel to a new community ('a nation') that yields genuine righteousness and obedience (the Church).

Verse 44

This verse warns of the destructive consequences of rejecting Christ: falling on the stone means being crushed by its weight; the stone falling on someone means inevitable judgment.

Verse 46

The leaders recognized Jesus was speaking of them, yet their fear of the popular opinion (who saw Jesus as a prophet) restrained them from immediate action.

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